1 week ago
Barcelona person announced nan exit of their talismanic captain, Alèxia Putellas, aft nan expiration of nan two-time Ballon d’Or winner’s statement astatine nan extremity of nan season.
The 32-year-old, who was calved successful Mollet del Vallès, conscionable northbound of Barcelona, spent 14 years astatine nan Catalan nine making 507 appearances and scoring a grounds 233 goals aft joining from Levante successful 2012 aged 18.
London City Lionesses, nan WSL nine owned by nan billionaire investor Michele Kang, person been heavily linked pinch a move for Putellas, however they are unsurprising not unsocial successful their liking successful nan player.
London City person made nary concealed of their desire to bring Putellas to London though and pinch Kang’s heavy pockets, a Spanish coach, successful Eder Maestre, successful place, erstwhile Barcelona subordinate Jana Fernández already astatine nan nine and Mapi León believed to beryllium joining, location is plentifulness to liking nan mercurial midfielder.
Putellas helped Barcelona to a quadruple this season, clinching their 4th Champions League title pinch an emphatic 4-0 triumph complete Kang’s French team, OL Lyonnes. In summation to that occurrence connected nan European stage, Putellas collected 10 convention titles, 10 Copa de la Reina titles, and 7 Copa Catalunya titles during her clip astatine Barcelona and has been cardinal to driving standards astatine nan nine and successful Spain much widely.
She became nan first Spanish subordinate to triumph nan women’s Ballon d’Or successful 2021 and retained her crown nan pursuing year.
On nan world stage, an anterior cruciate knee ligament wounded sustained connected nan eve of nan 2022 European Championship denied her a chance to compete successful nan tournament, wherever Spain were beaten by England successful nan quarter-finals. However, she went connected to triumph 2 Nations League titles, lifted a first World Cup title for her state successful Australia successful 2023 (with Spain hit England 1-0 successful nan final), and vanished arsenic a runner-up to England astatine nan 2025 Euros.
Putellas’s exit marks nan extremity of an era for Barcelona, pinch León, Marta Torrejón, Salma Paralluelo and Caroline Graham Hansen each besides retired of statement successful nan summertime and only nan second 2 expected to renew. Putellas will beryllium fixed a send-off by nan nine connected Wednesday greeting astatine nan Camp Nou, successful nickname of her publication to nan nine and nan bequest she leaves connected some Barcelona and women’s shot globally.
